ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar rejected former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's plea to merge the three corruption cases against him.

Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court on July 28 2017 in the Panama Papers case. He had filed a petition in the apex court to merge the three National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references. NAB had filed three corruption references — Al Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, Avenfield properties, and offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd — against Nawaz and his family in the accountability court.

Earlier the petition had been rejected by the Supreme Court Registrar, later Nawaz filed an appeal before the chief justice which was also rejected. 

The accountability court today issued a detailed verdict on a plea seeking an exemption from personal appearance before the court. "Exemption from personal appearances on grounds of Kulsoom Nawaz’s ailment can't be justified," Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir wrote.